All articles tagged with #union membership
Despite a slight increase in union membership last year, only 10% of the U.S. workforce belongs to a union, marking the lowest percentage in Labor Department records dating back to 1983. The growth in union membership was driven by younger workers, while public sentiment towards unions remains high. However, labor organizing faces challenges due to opposition and weaknesses in labor law, despite broad public support for unions.
The share of American workers in unions dropped to a record low of 10 percent in 2023, despite unions gaining 139,000 new members. The decline was driven by a surge in nonunion job growth, particularly in the private sector. President Biden's emphasis on creating union jobs contrasts with the shrinking U.S. labor movement, although support for unions has surged among Americans. Challenges in joining unions and labor laws stacked against workers contribute to the decline, with recent efforts to secure union contracts at companies like Amazon and Starbucks facing pushback.
Mass redundancies in the video game industry have led to a surge in workers joining unions, with the Game Workers branch of the IWGB union in the UK seeing a nearly 50% increase in membership. Job cuts at major studios have prompted thousands of developers to join unions, with at least 10,500 staff globally losing their jobs in the past year. The UK, home to Europe's largest video game workforce, has been particularly affected, with around 900 of an estimated 11,100 job losses occurring there. The industry is experiencing a rebalancing following pandemic-driven growth, leading to calls for government support to create conditions for games businesses to thrive.
Strikes are making a comeback in America as workers across various industries demand higher pay, improved benefits, and better working conditions. The United Auto Workers strike is part of a larger movement of workers walking off the job, including Hollywood writers, nurses, factory workers, and Starbucks baristas. Workers believe they have more bargaining power due to a tight labor market, strong public support for unions, and the spotlight on essential workers' sacrifices during the pandemic. However, despite the increase in strikes, America still sees significantly fewer strikes compared to the early 1970s, and union membership has declined due to barriers and opposition from companies.
Michigan has become the first state in decades to repeal a union-restricting law known as “right-to-work” that allowed those in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union dues and fees. The repeal is seen as a major victory for organized labor with union membership reaching an all-time low last year. The state also restored a prevailing wage law that had been repealed by Republicans in 2018. The legislation was signed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who promised to veto bills designed to cut out the public’s right of referendum.
The Michigan Senate has passed a bill to repeal the state's right-to-work laws, which allow workers to opt out of union membership and dues payments. The bill now goes to the state's House for final approval, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she will sign it. If signed into law, Michigan will be the first state to repeal a right-to-work law in nearly six decades. Business groups in Michigan have opposed repealing the laws, saying it would remove workers' freedom to decide whether to affiliate with unions and pay union dues.